To Seduce
by Rainb0wNinja
Summary: With the return of his hero, Shuuhei finds himself struggling with new emotions, and turns to Rangiku for help. Because of all the people, she would know how to seduce a guy. Starts off slow, eventually leads to KenShuu. T for now.
1. Chapter 1

Shuuhei walked through the ninth division halls, making his way towards the front doors and greeting other squad members as they bid him good morning. There was an air of uncertainty and nervousness going through the barracks today, but also a buzz of excitement. Shuuhei himself was more relieved than anything. Today marked a historic day in Seireitei history, a day that had been long awaited. He had received orders to report to the first division on this very morning for an important meeting. When he found out why, he was positively giddy. He even took a break from his everlasting hectic schedule to go get piss drunk. For far too long there had been vacancies in the thirteen court guard squads, and today they would finally get filled once again. Three new Captains would be accepted into the abandoned divisions, and Shuuhei could only hope this Captain wouldn't betray everyone like Tosen. He hoped this Captain would be easy to get along with and would be a hard worker like Shuuhei. He was tired of doing so much work, it was really taking a toll on his health. But dammit, he really wanted to know who it was. Nobody seemed to know who these people were, and the orders he received didn't give away any hints. Shuuhei was dying of curiosity.

He took his time walking to the first division, knowing even if he was slow he would still be on time. He had always been good with punctuality. Especially now since he rarely slept, it gave him plenty of time to be early. Between handling all of the divisions paperwork, training and managing new recruits, and making sure the Seireitei Communications continued running smoothly, he rarely had time to even eat, let alone sleep. But that would all change today. He only hoped he didn't get a Captain like Kyoraku, who made his lieutenant do all of the work. He would probably keel over from exhaustion. But then again he didn't want someone who did all of the work either, Shuuhei liked keeping busy. He wondered what his Captain would be like. Would he be relaxed and easy going, or uptight and strict? Would he have things in common with Shuuhei? What if it was a woman? Not that it mattered, but if she was anything like Rangiku there might be some problems. Shuuhei would never be able to focus.

As the first division came into view Shuuhei felt himself getting nervous. The moment of truth was upon him, and he wasn't sure if he could handle it. He couldn't handle another Tosen. He had trusted that man and looked up to him for decades, only to get betrayed in the end. He couldn't handle anymore heart break. But Yamamoto wouldn't let anymore traitors into the Soul Society. He knew this, so then why was he so damn nervous? Were Izuru and Momo this nervous too? Probably, Izuru did have to deal with two Captains betraying him thanks to that Amagai person. And Momo had kind of been obsessed with Aizen so this was probably hard for her. But neither of them had killed their Captains. This was different for him. He was ready for it, sure, but he had every right to be weary.

He got in line immediately, glancing over at Izuru and giving his friend a reassuring smile. The blonde looked just as nervous as Shuuhei probably did. Looking over he saw Renji giving him a thumbs up, grinning like an idiot. Captain Kuchiki merely shook his head at his Lieutenant, causing Shuuhei to smile. Renji was an idiot. But, it made him feel a little better. The sound of Yamamoto's cane pounding against the floor made him jump slightly and stand up straight. This was it.

"As you all know we have had vacancies in three divisions for too long now, and now that the war against Aizen has ended, it is time to fill these voids. I am sure you are all concerned with any more betrayals, which is why I chose certain individuals who I am very familiar with, as are some of you. These individuals will never betray us like Aizen did. Open the doors, Chojiro." The aged Captain said, watching the others reactions as the large doors slowly opened and three figures emerged from the dark, each wearing their new- or not so new- haoris. There was a collective gasp from the Captains, even a few Lieutenants looked surprised. But Shuuhei looked like he would pass out any second. His entire face had gone white and his eyes were wide open, and he could feel himself shaking. His unbelieving eyes were locked onto the one person he thought he would never seen again.

"Captains, please step forward and give your name, and go join your new Lieutenants who have anxiously awaited your arrival." Yamamoto said, watching with the others as a blonde haired man wearing a white tie stepped forward.

"Shinji Hirako, Captain of squad five. Nice ta meet ya." He said with a bored expression, walking over and standing by Momo who looked a bit shell shocked. Another blonde man stepped forward, looking a bit more effeminate than the others.

"Rojuro Otoribashi, Captain of squad three. Please, just call me Rose." He stated, walking over to Izuru who looked at the man suspiciously, as if not believing this was his Captain. Then, finally, the last one stepped forward, his arms crossed. As soon as he spoke, Shuuhei visibly shook, His skin prickling at the familiar sound.

"Kensei Muguruma, Captain of squad nine. Pleasures mine." He grumbled the last part, before making his way towards the frozen Shuuhei. The closer he got, the faster Shuuhei's heart raced. It was him, it was really him! The very man who saved his life over a century ago, the same Captain who inspired him to become a Soul Reaper, and to get his first tattoo. His hero was right there, saying he was his Captain now. It was too good to be true and yet, it _was_ true.

"Well.. There's a familiar face." Kensei's gruff voice started Shuuhei out of his thoughts. His mouth went dry as he realized Kensei was directly in front of him now, his eyes focused on Shuuhei's tattoo. The very same one he had. "So, the little kid from Rukon became a lieutenant of my division, eh? Ya even got my tattoo on your face. How cute." He remarked, causing Shuuhei to blush for some unknown reason. His hero had just called him cute, of all things. Shuuhei felt himself at a loss for words, what was he supposed to say? _Oh, yeah, I kind of copied you since you saved my life. And yeah, I chose my face. I've also been thinking about you for over a century, not to be creepy or anything. Did I mention you're my hero?_ Yeah, that would blow over really well.

"Did ya become a mute or something? Speak up, dammit!" He barked out, flicking Shuuhei in the forehead.

"Y-you... You're.." Shuuhei managed to croak out, mentally punching himself in the face. That was the best he could come up with?!

"I'm what? Tch, you haven't changed at all, have ya? Even back then ya had a speech problem. At least you're not crying. Are you that surprised to see me or something?" Kensei asked, finding the kids face rather priceless. He wasn't expecting this either but you didn't see him panicking.

"Well... Yes, I am. I mean... I knew you were alive but... S-sorry. It's just a surprise." He replied, finally finding his damn voice. He had thought Kensei was dead up until he saw him fighting in Fake Karakura Town. It had been a huge relief knowing his hero was alive, but this was completely unexpected.

"Yeah well, get used to it. I'm your Captain now and that's all there is to it. And there's gonna be some changes in the division." He stated with an authoritative tone, leaving no room for arguments, not that Shuuhei would argue anyways. The division was in need of a lot of changes.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

"You're telling me you've been doing all the paperwork? All of it?" Kensei asked in disbelief as he observed the spotless office. When he was a Captain he didn't even do all of his work, he couldn't believe Shuuhei had been doing not only Captains work but a lieutenants too.

"Well... Yes, sir, someone had to do it." Shuuhei replied nervously. Kensei had been questioning him nonstop since they left the first division.

"That's why you have a third seat, idiot!" Kensei yelled, making Shuuhei jump at the sudden mood change. He was aware of the man's temper but it would definitely take some getting used to. Kensei was completely opposite from Tosen, that's for sure.

"You've been in charge of the Seireitei Communications too, right? How the hell are you alive kid?" Kensei continued his questioning, his temper gone in a flash and replaced with disbelief. Shuuhei asked himself the same question every day. Being a Captain, Lieutenant and Chief Editor had almost killed him multiple times. He couldn't remember the last time he felt relaxed.

"I did what I had to do, Captain. This division would have fallen apart and I couldn't allow that." Shuuhei replied, repeating the mantra he had chosen not long after Tosen left. Do what you must, or the division will crumble.

"Well, you're a damned good Lieutenant. But it's way past time for you to start acting like one again. From now on you just worry about your paperwork and helping me train the recruits. It's the Captains job to manage the Communications, so I'll handle that too."

"Um.. Actually, sir, if it isn't too much to ask, I'd like to continue being the editor. It's really become a passion of mine and I don't want to leave it." Shuuhei said somewhat timidly, feeling scrutinized under the man's intense gaze.

"Knock yourself out. I never did get into that anyways. Now, I told you there would be some changes, so besides the obvious shit we're also going to start working on training you." Kensei continued, making Shuuhei widen his eyes. Him? Train? He hadn't done that for a long time.

"Well.. If you insist, sir." He said somewhat reluctantly, flinching as Kensei glared at him.

"What, you don't want to get stronger? You can't stay a lieutenant forever ya know! I won't have a weak subordinate, got it? Training starts after lunch, I expect you to be there early." He barked out, and Shuuhei found that he couldn't say no even if he wanted to. He knew he needed to work on his skills, and would gladly do it, but he was a bit skeptical about working with Kazeshini. Even after the whole zanpakuto rebellion he didn't have the best relationship with his sword.

"Yes, sir, I will be there."

"Good. For now I want you to see if there's any paperwork to be done and then go make sure the recruits aren't fucking around. I'm gonna get settled in here." Kensei said, watching as Shuuhei nodded and left his office. It would be interesting having the kid as a lieutenant, but he had a good feeling about it. Shuuhei was obviously diligent, and much more mature than Mashiro which was great, but he could tell he was exhausted. Hopefully he didn't collapse during training today.

But, with the kind of training he usually did, it wouldn't be surprising.

* * *

Shuuhei walked into the training room a little wobbly, His vision wasn't so good right now so he couldn't really tell where he was going. There had been some paperwork that needed filing which had made him more tired than usual, and then he had to break up a fight with some of the new recruits which had drained him even more. Energy was a rare thing to have nowadays and Shuuhei often found himself feeling dizzy and faint. He knew it was from not eating and sleeping, but he just didn't have an appetite. He did get tired but for some reason he could never fall asleep. Not only that, but sometimes he would get the worst headaches and feel like puking, or his stomach would start hurting. Yes, Shuuhei was a walking disaster, but he couldn't worry about that right now. He had to focus all of the energy he had left on training.

Kensei was waiting for him as expected, but someone else was there with him. A woman with lime green hair was talking with him and had a squad uniform on, and she even had a lieutenants badge on her arm. Who's lieutenant could she possibly be? Shuuhei had never seen her before and knew they didn't replace any lieutenants. They stopped talking when they noticed Shuuhei enter the room, and the girl gave him a curious look while Kensei frowned at him. He could tell right away Shuuhei wasn't feeling too well. But this needed to be done, he needed to see how strong his new lieutenant was so he could judge how much training they would need to do.

"Is that him, Kensei?" The girl asked, giving Shuuhei another once over. He raised an eyebrow at this, wondering how close these two were since she had used his first name. Looking at her closely, he realized she did look kind of familiar.

"Yeah, it's him alright. Hisagi, meet Mashiro, my old lieutenant. Mashiro, this is Shuuhei, the little brat from the Rukon we saved." Kensei introduced them and Shuuhei's eyes widened in recognition. Of course she was his old lieutenant, how could he forget?

"Really? He's so grown up now!" She said in amazement, going so far as to poke his cheek and inspect him like he was some foreign object. "He's got your tattoo!"

"A-Ah, it's nice to meet you." He said as she continued invading his personal space, and it was then that Shuuhei noticed her lieutenants badge, which had the ninth division insignia on it. "Erm, if you don't mind me asking, why do you have that badge?"

" Eh? Oh, right! I'm the new Super Lieutenant of the ninth division! That makes me your boss, mister brat!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, causing Shuuhei's eye to twitch at the name.

"S-super lieutenant? But why?" He asked in confusion, turning towards an irritated Kensei for answers.

"I brought her with me to help train squad members, since she's got a certain ability I don't. Plus she wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed." He grumbled, and Shuuhei once again wondered what their relationship was like, since he seemed to not like her so much. "So, you're gonna fight her while I observe you."

"F-fight? I'm sorry, Captain, but I don't fight women." Shuuhei said, eyes widening when Mashiro suddenly disappeared. Kensei smirked as his old lieutenants spiritual pressure spiked, shaking his head at his naive lieutenant. "She ain't no ordinary woman kid, I suggest you take her seriously." He said, watching as a blur hit Shuuhei and sent him crashing into a wall. When the dust cleared, Shuuhei had an unreleased Kazeshini in his hands, wiping some blood off his forehead. He glared at the girl standing before him, gasping as he saw her mask covered face.

"A hollow mask?" He said, remembering when he saw Kensei in the Fake Karakura Town. He had been with a group of people who also used masks, like Ichigo.

_That's right, they call themselves visoreds. Their masks make them stronger. He's right, I do need to take her seriously._

He moved into a defensive stance as she vanished again, focusing on where her spiritual pressure was so he could dodge any attacks. He quickly spun around and blocked her kick with his sword, flash stepping away as she aimed a punch at him. He found it strange that she didn't use a sword and instead focused on her arms and legs. But then again, he would rather she didn't use a sword, as it would probably make her even stronger and more deadly. It was hard enough fighting her right now. He was already tired before so going against someone like this couldn't end well. But he couldn't disappoint Kensei.

Kensei watched his lieutenants spar, eyes trained on Shuuhei. He noticed several things about the raven almost immediately. He refused to go on the offense, he refused to use shikai, and he also refused to give up. As admirable as that was, Kensei knew it wouldn't end well.

_Why won't he use his shikai? Was he trained to not rely on it or something?_

Shuuhei did a back flip as Mashiro attempted to drop kick him, leaving a crater where he once stood. She fired rapid punches and kicks which he expertly dodged. She had only hit him once, which was good, but he knew in order to win he would have to hit her back. But hitting a woman just wasn't something he did, even if she was half hollow.

_He sure is flexible. Quick, too. Good qualities. Seems to have a good head on his shoulders, but he's obviously got issues. I get why he doesn't want to hit her, I guess. But he needs to do something. Mashiro never was too patient and she's gonna get bored soon. In his state, he won't make it._

Mashiro advanced on Shuuhei, not letting up on her attacks, and when she disappeared and then landed right behind him he didn't have time to block. He grunted as her heel connected with his spine and once again sent him flying into another wall. Kensei watched as Mashiro went to finish him off, eyes narrowing as a small black object flew out of the dust towards her. There was a high pitched whistle as it glowed orange and then suddenly exploded, throwing the girl to the floor. When Shuuhei emerged from the dust Kensei noticed the choker around his neck was gone.

_An explosive? Che, sneaky little bastard. I thought he just had a weird fashion sense. Still, I can tell he's hurt now, Mashiro's got a hard kick. I should call this off, but I want to see what he does._

Mashiro seemed confused at the sudden blast, but if anything it made her attack even more. Shuuhei knew dodging wouldn't get him anywhere, he would have to fight back. He just wished she had a sword so he wouldn't have to physically hit her. He could hear Kazeshini screaming at him, calling him weak, telling him to use him, but he didn't want to do that. He still wasn't completely comfortable with his sword. If only he wasn't so damn tired, this wouldn't be as hard.

"Kenseeeiii, he's no fun! He won't fight back!" Mashiro complained, her voice distorted. Kensei sighed and looked over at Shuuhei who was panting heavily. "Make him." Was all he said, knowing Mashiro would end it now. Shuuhei grit his teeth as he felt her spirit energy rise and a red sphere began forming at the mouth of her mask. At this range he wouldn't be able to dodge an attack that size, so he could either take the hit or grant Kazeshini his wish. If he let her cero hit him, he would end up in the fourth division. But if he used Kazeshini, he would only be able to fight back for so long, and then he would probably pass out. He would have to take out Mashiro in that short amount of time.

_He's thinking about it. But will he actually use that sword of his, or will he really let Mashiro hit him?_

The sphere grew until it was twice the size of Mashiro's head, and in the blink of an eye it was coming towards Shuuhei at a blinding speed. His vision blurred as the brightness burned his eyes, and he took a deep breath before holding out Kazeshini. Kensei watched as Shuuhei was engulfed by what looked like wind, waiting to see what would happen.

"Reap, Kazeshini." Shuuhei said, sending one of his scythes flying towards Mashiro as he flash stepped away. The cero just barely missed him but it did leave a good sized hole in the wall. He winced as his blade cut into Mashiro's shoulder and she cried out, lunging at him with another cero ready. Before she could launch it he wrapped his chains around her stomach and threw her into the wall, creating yet another hole.

_So that's his shikai. Looks pretty intense, not what I was expecting. Took him long enough._

Shuuhei felt himself sway to one side as his vision blurred, His exhaustion catching up to him again. He was getting too tired for this. But he didn't want to look weak in front of Kensei, especially on the first day. Mashiro was just too strong though, her mask must really enhance her powers. He wondered how long it lasted, since he remembered hearing Ichigo's had a limit. But didn't Kensei say something about her having a certain ability? Was it maybe... That her mask didn't have a time limit?

He gasped as he was suddenly kicked hard in the back, realizing he must have spaced out, and grunted as Mashiro punched him in the face. He blacked out from the impact and felt himself falling, his hearing fading out, but before he passed out completely he could have sworn somebody caught him.

* * *

"_Hei_.. _Uhei_... Shuuhei!" He was jostled awake by a familiar voice, and when his vision cleared he realized he was in his bedroom and it was nighttime. The worried blue eyes that belonged to his best friend stared back at him and he wondered how long he had been here.

"Izuru? How did I get here?" He asked, blearily remembering blacking out and someone catching him.

"Your Captain brought you here some time ago. I came looking for you in your office, but he said you were here. Then he told me that girl knocked you out." Kira said with a smirk, causing Shuuhei to glare at him.

"Hey, she's not just a girl, she's part hollow." He defended, leaving out the part where he was too exhausted to fight properly.

"Yeah, well, it's time for you to get up. We're going out to celebrate tonight."

"Eh? Since when?" Shuuhei asked in confusion. He didn't recall making any plans, which meant this was a spur of the moment thing, which _also_ meant it was either Renji or Rangiku's idea.

"Since now, come on!" Izuru said, dragging Shuuhei out of bed and towards the door. He knew he should rest, but since the odds of him actually going to sleep were slim, he figured he might as well go have a few dozen drinks.

What's the worst that could happen?

* * *

**Oh, Shuuhei... Naive little Shuuhei... You have no idea what you're doing to yourself. Things are going to escalate from here on out!**


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two whole weeks since Kensei became a Captain, and when Shuuhei thought things would get better, he didn't realize how wrong he would be. His mind never shut off. Despite Kensei constantly telling him to relax and stop doing so much work his body simply wouldn't let him. He had gotten used to drowning himself in paperwork, it's not like he could just stop. The only thing that did change was that now he had to train every day on top of his usual duties. His already decreasing health was now spiraling down at an even more alarming rate, not that anyone had noticed. He made sure to put up a good act so Kensei wouldn't be able to tell, and he hadn't seen any of his friends since that night two weeks ago, so he didn't have to worry about that. As much as he hated to admit it, Shuuhei knew the only other time he was this bad, was when Tosen first defected. He had ended up in the fourth division for a few days after collapsing from exhaustion, but he wouldn't let that happen again. He could just imagine how angry it would make Kensei.

Today was particularly hectic since it was time to publish a new edition of the Seireitei Communication, and he needed to make sure everyone turned in their articles on time. This meant waking up earlier than usual, but in his case, it just meant leaving earlier since he didn't sleep. His stomach growled at him, reminding him that he also skipped out on breakfast again, but he couldn't be bothered to care. All he wanted was to get to work already so his day could begin. As expected, the editorial office was buzzing with energy, something Shuuhei wished he had.

"Akira, where are we at so far?" He asked as a squad member passed by. The man had a stack of papers in his arms and looked frazzled, but smiled none the less at seeing Shuuhei.

"Not everyone has turned in their articles, but we still have time. Lieutenant Ise came by when we opened as well as Captains Ukitake and Kuchiki."

"Ah, so Captain Ukitake feels better then? It's been a while since we got an article from him." Shuuhei commented, happy that the usually sick Captain was back on his feet.

"Yes, he seemed to be in good health. Lieutenant Matsumoto and her Captain also came by, I think we're just waiting on Lieutenants Abarai and Kira, and Madarame if I'm not mistaken. All of the papers you need to look through are on your desk, Hagashiyama and Sannen are almost done with the design."

"Okay, thank you Akira. Keep up the good work." Shuuhei said, watching the younger squad member beam and continue on with his duties. Shuuhei envied people like that who can find happiness in days like this. He used to be the same until recently. Try as he might, Shuuhei was lacking in the energy department, meaning it was hard to find happiness. His day had barely started and he was already beat. It only got worse as he entered his office and saw the massive pile of paperwork he had to go through.

"I still have to meet the Captain for training after lunch..." He muttered, flopping down into his chair with a sigh. Maybe he should have let Kensei take over this job too. As much as he liked it, or used to at least, he just couldn't do it anymore. He needed a break. "I need to learn how to relax is more like it." He grumbled, wondering why he still did everything when he didn't need to anymore. It had gotten to the point where he would finish Kensei's paperwork when the man went out to watch squad members train. At this rate he would work himself straight into his grave.

There was a knock at the door, starting Shuuhei from his thoughts. He attempted to smile when the faces of Renji, Izuru and Ikkaku greeted him, but he could tell they weren't fooled. He had been kind of avoiding them lately. Not that he intended to, but still, the damage was done and they knew something was up.

"So, we finally find you. Still cooped up in some office I see. You know, Shuuhei, I don't know if anyone told you, but you've got a Captain now." Renji said, a teasing grin on his face. Shuuhei could tell he was kind of hurt, just like the others, and he did feel bad. But if he didn't do this, what would he do? Stay home? That sounded incredibly boring.

"I'm well aware, thanks, but I didn't want to give up my editing duties." Shuuhei replied, knowing his friends wouldn't buy that excuse. After all, editing didn't take up every minute of every day.

"I'm guessing you didn't want to give up doing all the paperwork either. Or training the new recruits. I think Captain Muguruma might actually be bored." Izuru said, looking over his friends features. Shuuhei looked positively exhausted.

"I doubt that. He's been training me every day, and when he's not doing that he's either out drinking with the other new Captains or he's watching squad members fight." Shuuhei said, causing Ikkaku to light up and step forward.

"Training, eh? So you've gotten stronger then? Why don't we put that to the test?" He said with a grin that made Shuuhei gulp. Maybe he should have left that part out.. But it was too late now.

"Yeah, come on Shuuhei. A good spar would be good for you. Maybe afterwards we can go get something to drink." Renji added, both he and Ikkaku looking ready for a full on fight. Luckily for Shuuhei, Izuru was on his side.

"I don't know guys, he seems pretty busy. Plus, you're not looking to good, Shuuhei. Maybe you should go rest or something."

"Nah, he's fine, just needs some fresh air." Ikkaku said, cutting off any objection Shuuhei had. Before he knew what happened he was being dragged out of the office and into the training grounds.

* * *

Just as he predicted, this was a bad idea. Ikkaku and Renji were being too rough with Shuuhei, and it was obvious the man was tired. All Izuru could do was watch and wait for the inevitable. He knew his friend better than anyone, and therefore knew his limits. Shuuhei was well past those limits. Just a few more minutes and he would be unconscious. What Izuru didn't predict, was Kensei coming to watch. Shuuhei had been right, he really did watch squad members fight. At first he hoped Kensei would put a stop to it and make Shuuhei go back to work, but he quickly realized Kensei enjoyed watching Shuuhei fight. He also realized having Kensei watch made Shuuhei try harder, hence the reason why he was past his limits and hadn't collapsed yet. In fact, he had put up a decent fight until now, both Renji and Ikkaku had some pretty good wounds. For a moment it even seemed like Shuuhei could win.

That is until Renji released his bankai like he always does and knocked Shuuhei out cold.

Izuru was quick to respond, running over to Shuuhei's side and picking him up. He tossed his friend over his shoulder and gave Renji and Ikkaku a verbal beating before flash stepping to the fourth division. And, oddly enough, Kensei went with him. The man had to of known Shuuhei was losing, yet he didn't stop them. Izuru couldn't help but wonder why.

The fourth division wasn't as crowded as it usually was, making it easy to find the Captain and get Shuuhei into a room. Izuru watched anxiously as she checked his vitals and wrote down some notes. Kensei looked somewhat tense next to him, confusing Izuru even more. Why would he be tense, of all people? He could have prevented this!

"He should wake up within the hour, but for now I will treat his wounds. Has he shown any signs of feeling sick?" The healer asked, taking out some gauze and salve. Izuru didn't really have an answer for that since he hadn't seen Shuuhei lately, but apparently Kensei knew everything.

"I don't know if sick is the right word, but he's been acting weird since I returned. I may not know the kid well but I know damn well he isn't weak, he's a lieutenant." Kensei answered, a serious look on his face.

"I see. So you're saying it's something else, then?"

"Something in his head, yeah. Has this happened before?"

"I don't usually give away my patients information, but since you are his Captain and lieutenant Kira knows him so well, I suppose I can make an exception. In the past he struggled with chronic stress and anxiety, and depression as well. This was after the defection of his old Captain, Kaname Tosen. The pressure of having to be a Captain and Lieutenant at the same time was simply too much, as I'm sure Lieutenant Kira understands. He was in and out of my division for a while until he eventually found a routine and got used to it. It seems now that he has a Captain again he can't bring himself to get out of that routine, but it has taken quite a toll on his body and mind." Unohana explained to the two, bandaging a particularly nasty looking gash on his midsection.

"So the kids just gotta take a break? That's it? Che, I coulda figured that out." Kensei muttered, flinching back as Unohana turned and fixed him with the look.

"Then tell me, Captain, why didn't you? Why did you instead decide to watch as he let his health decline? You even added to the problem by training him so much every day." She said, smiling in a way that was anything but nice. Izuru glanced expectantly at the Captain, wanting to know the same thing.

"Well.. I... Look, I knew the kid had a problem, but I wasn't going to make him stop. He's a grown man, he should be able to take care of himself. I let those two morons kick his ass so he would finally realize he's gotta stop." Kensei responded, looking uncomfortable under Unohana's gaze.

"You are his Captain, Kensei, it's your responsibility to help your lieutenant. Communication is everything in a division, you of all people should know this." She said. Izuru felt like he was watching a mother scold her child. But she was right, Kensei should have stopped Shuuhei before this happened.

"I know, I know. To be honest I didn't even realize he was this bad. I would have locked him inside his barracks had I known."

"Well, when he wakes up I'll assess his condition more and then he can be released. He will need someone to check up on him, just to make sure he's actually relaxing and not working. He has a habit of doing that. It's a common thing to see, but if taken too far it can be life threatening. You may actually _have_ to lock him in, Captain. Shuuhei is quite persistent." She said, smiling at the sleeping form of Shuuhei. Kensei however frowned. He didn't want to force the kid to do anything, but he definitely would if needed. And apparently it would be needed..

"How has he been acting around you, Lieutenant?" Unohana suddenly asked Izuru, making him jump slightly.

"A-ah, well, I haven't seen him for the past few weeks. I know how he is though, Shuuhei doesn't like staying home and not doing anything. I guess I thought he would just be okay. But when I saw him earlier today I knew he wasn't doing well. He tries to hide it but if you know him really well its obvious." Izuru explained somewhat guiltily. He should have tried harder to see if Shuuhei was okay, and to get him away from work, but just like Kensei he didn't want to force Shuuhei. He was an adult. But still, they could have tried.

"I see. Well, it looks like you both need to be more attentive. Shuuhei is indeed an adult, but even adults need supervision sometimes. Shuuhei is very devoted when it comes to work, it doesn't surprise me that he can't stop. But as his friends and Captain it is your job to help him before it's too late. He needs to do lieutenants work and go socialize with friends when he's done, instead of doing more work. Do you understand?" She asked, smiling as both men nodded. Their attention was directed back to Shuuhei as he grunted in pain and opened his eyes, looking around blearily before landing on Unohana, then Izuru, and then widened at seeing Kensei.

"I'm.. In the fourth? What happened?" He asked with a raspy voice.

"It would appear Lieutenant Abarai went too far during your sparring match. But that's not all, is it Shuuhei?" She asked, watching as Shuuhei sunk down into the mattress and sighed. "Captain Muguruma, Lieutenant Kira, may we have some privacy? I will come find you when he is ready to go home."

"Yes, Captain." They both nodded and left, leaving Unohana alone to have a long talk with Shuuhei. He should have known this would happen, but was hoping it wouldn't come to ending up in the fourth division.

"Tell me, Shuuhei, have you been over working yourself again?" She asked, watching as Shuuhei deflated and looked away in shame.

"Y-yes, I suppose I have. It's not my fault though! There's nothing else for me to do, I need to work."

"There is plenty of other things you could do to occupy your time. When was the last time you saw your friends? I remember you telling me about your passion for cooking, why not do that? Or practicing that instrument from the real world, the guitar? I know you don't like down time, Shuuhei, but you can't continue doing this to yourself." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to give you a list of symptoms, I want you to tell me which ones you have."

"Just like before?" He asked, remembering the time he was in here after Tosen left. Unohana nodded. "Just like before. Ready?" She asked, continuing when he nodded.

"I'll start with cognitive symptoms. Any memory problems, problems concentrating, poor judgment, negative thoughts, feeling anxious, or constant worrying?"

"My memory's fine, and I haven't had poor judgment.. I think... But everything else sounds about right." He answered, trying to remember any poor judgments he might have made. Not eating and sleeping might be one.. But he wouldn't say that. Unohana wrote this down and continued.

"Okay, now for emotional symptoms. And moodiness, irritability, inability to relax, feeling overwhelmed or isolated, or depression?"

"Everything except irritability. I haven't gotten mad at anyone lately." He replied, thankful for at least that. He didn't like blowing up in people's faces.

"Good, now there's physical symptoms. Any aches or pains, diarrhea, nausea or dizziness, rapid heartbeat, loss of sex drive, frequent colds?"

"Some aches, yeah, a little dizziness here and there, rapid heartbeat, uh... I haven't really uh.. Erm.. Had sex lately, or had the option to, so.. No, and I haven't gotten sick in a while." He answered with a blush. The last thing he wanted to be reminded of was his lack of a sex life. Unohana smiled none the less and kept taking notes.

"I see, so there aren't as much physical symptoms. That's good. Now lastly we have behavioral symptoms. Have you been eating more or less, sleeping more or less, isolating yourself, procrastinating or neglecting duties, using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax, or any nervous habits like nail biting or pacing?" She asked with a knowing look, already writing things down before he even answered.

"Erm.. I haven't really been eating or sleeping.. I guess I haven't seen my friends for a while, I definitely don't procrastinate, uh... I drink, sometimes, and smoke... Occasionally, and it does make me feel relaxed I guess. I don't have nervous habits. Pacing, maybe, but not that often."

"Yes, I had a feeling you would have most of these symptoms. You already know what I'm going to tell you. Bed rest, taking on less work, more socializing. Just like before. You need to eat healthier and get at least 8 hours of sleep. Exercising is also good, so keep training with your Captain when you feel better. I'm ordering you to take a three day leave from work, and I'll have your friends keep an eye on you. Drinking isn't recommended, but I know how you and your friends are, so just try to take it easy. Absolutely no cigarettes. Are we clear, Lieutenant?" Unohana asked, her tone leaving little room for arguments.

"Y-yes ma'am, loud and clear." He replied nervously, sighing in relief as she smiled and stood to leave.

"You may go now, I'll tell your Captain."

Shuuhei didn't need to be told twice, he was ready to get out of the fourth division. He wasn't happy with what Unohana said but knew she was right. He did this to himself and now he had to pay the consequences. Bed rest sounded like hell though, so maybe he would do less of that and more going out with Izuru or Renji, even Rangiku. It had been a while since he saw her anyways.

"Maybe that will fix my damn sex drive." He muttered, bitterly reminding himself of that cruel fact that Rangiku wasn't his. Not yet, anyways.

"The hell are you talking about?" A terribly familiar voice said, making Shuuhei's face go pale and then erupt in a blush. He turned and regarded his Captain with a look of shock, wondering where the hell Kensei popped out from. Or had he been there all along?

"Uh..."

* * *

**Ha, poor Shuuhei XD Yeah, I had to end it there before this ended up being a billion pages. Still no KenShuu, but I did say it started out slow. And I'm honestly still trying to figure out how to get them together. So, until then, leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Uh.." Shuuhei replied dumbly, his face a brilliant shade of red. Of all the things his Captain could overhear, it just had to be that. All he could do was gape at Kensei and wonder why he had such bad luck. Did the Soul King hate him or something? Was it karma? Did he do something terrible in his past and this was his punishment? Whatever it was, he didn't care, all he wanted was to curl up in a ball and hide in a dark corner.

"Ya know what? Never mind, I don't wanna know." Kensei finally said, realizing that Shuuhei was too stunned to form an answer. "Unohana told me everything, so get your ass home and rest. If I see you trying to work, even a _little_, I'll knock you out and personally tie you to your bed. Understand?" He asked menacingly, and Shuuhei could barely manage to nod in agreement. He didn't doubt Kensei would do something like that.

"Good. Now scram." Kensei said as he walked away, smirking as his Lieutenants reiatsu vanished instantly. Shuuhei wasn't about to stay there any longer, he hated hospitals and being on Kensei's bad side. While bed rest sounded mind-numbingly boring, he knew nothing was worse than an irritated visored.

_I wonder where Izuru went.._ He belatedly wondered, having just now remembered the blonde being in his room when he woke up. _Probably to tell the others I'm okay. Stupid Renji and his bankai... If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be on lock down. Three whole days of no work? I'll never make it._

As he landed in front of his barracks, he immediately started thinking of things to do. He wasn't hungry, so cooking was out. His guitar playing still needed work and he didn't want to disturb every squad member, and he was also too lazy to go outside of the Seireitei to play, so that was out. What else could he do?

"Shuuhei!" A sudden voice called out to him, just as he was about to open the doors to his home. A small grin appeared on his face as he recognized the sweet voice calling him. Perfect timing. "You poor thing, Izuru told me everything!" He turned just in time to see a giant set of boobs coming straight for his face, and practically let himself fall into her embrace, sighing as he did so. A hug from Rangiku was always welcome. _So he told everyone, eh? Fine by me._

"You just come with me and I'll take care of you." She said, suffocating him in her breasts. He eagerly nodded, liking the sound of that and wondering just how she would _take care_ of him. His gray eyes snapped open as another painfully familiar voice ruined his moment of heaven.

"Getting him drunk won't fix anything, Rangiku." Renji said as he approached the two, smirking as Shuuhei glared at him from Rangiku's chest. "Hey man, you feeling better?" He asked, laughing as Shuuhei flipped him off.

"Drinking fixes everything! Haven't you learned that yet? Or was last time not enough?" The strawberry blonde asked, watching as Renji's face turned green. "Don't remind me. I'm never doing that again."

"Nonsense, we're doing it right now!" She exclaimed, causing both Renji and Shuuhei (who was still firmly nestled in Rangiku's chest) to widen their eyes.

"Wha- why?!" Renji asked in disbelief, not wanting to have another drinking session with Rangiku so soon.

"Because Shuuhei needs company and we're his friends, that's why! You heard Izuru, he isn't allowed to work for three days, and we all know how much he likes to work. So we're going to distract him as much as possible!" She explained, fixing Renji with a dirty look. "Besides, it's partly your fault he's like this! So you can't complain!"

"But... But I have to work tomorrow!"

"Well then you better start thinking of an excuse for Captain Kuchiki, shouldn't you?"

Shuuhei grinned at Renji's disgruntled face. Serves him right.

* * *

As it would turn out, Izuru really did tell their group of friends. Ikkaku and Yumichika were at the bar when they arrived, as well as the blonde himself and Iba. Add Rangiku, Renji and himself, and it was sure to be a long night. Even Hinamori was there, though Shuuhei had a hunch Rangiku forced her. The girl wasn't much of a drinker like the rest of them. But, he was glad to see she was doing better. After the whole Aizen incident she had been in and out of the fourth, but it looked like she made a full recovery. Which was good, since she would need to be at full health if she planned on staying. Rangiku would force everyone to drink until they were incoherent, but usually they all did it without her having to tell them to. Ikkaku had clearly started long before they showed up, as he was already obnoxiously loud. And, as usual, he was having a drinking contest with Iba who never could win.

"Oi, Shuuhei, hurry up and have a drink would ya?! We gotta celebrate you not dying!" The bald man yelled as soon as he saw the scarred lieutenant enter their usual bar. Yumichika sighed next to him, sipping on a small cup of sake. "Ikkaku, he wouldn't have died anyways."

"Ah, you made it. Sorry about earlier, you know how Renji is." Izuru said, walking over to his friend with a guilty smile. He felt bad for letting Renji and Ikkaku fight him, and for not knowing that Shuuhei was in such bad shape.

"Don't worry about it. It's not his fault he's an idiot." Shuuhei replied, taking a seat between Rangiku and Izuru.

"Uh, hello, I'm right here!" The redhead yelled, ducking as Ikkaku threw an empty bottle at him. "The fuck was that for?!"

"Shaddup and start drinking, ya pansy!" The third seat replied, grinning as Renji narrowed his eyes at him and sat directly across him. Shuuhei knew a huge drinking contest was about to start and figured he might as well join in. He had nothing else to do.

_Ah... But wait, I can't drink to relieve stress. Unohana told me to be careful. How is this supposed to work then?_

"Bottles of sake, all around! Renji's paying!" Rangiku shouted as she started drinking, pushing a cup into a nervous Hinamori's hands. Said redhead paused in his chugging and unceremoniously sprayed sake all over the table. "I'M WHAT?!"

Shuuhei laughed with the others and knocked back his drink, figuring he could just stop when he felt buzzed. He was a grown man, he could handle himself. "Be quiet and drink, Renji, I want to see you lose already." He said, loving the way Renji glared at him. "Oh yeah? Care to make a bet on that?"

"Oh, if we're betting, I'm putting my money on Rangiku." Izuru said, His fair skin already tinted pink. He always had been kind of a light weight.

"Why thank you Izuru dear! You've made the right choice, I never lose!" She replied happily, several empty bottles already around her, making Shuuhei sweat drop.

"I ain't gonna lose either! Come on, Rangiku, it's on!" Ikkaku yelled, slamming down his cup of sake as Iba fell backwards. "One down, er... Uh... All of you to go!"

"There's _six_ of us left, Ikkaku, and I think dear Momo is already done." Yumichika pointed out calmly, watching as the girl swayed to the right. Rangiku caught her and laughed, giving the girl another cup. "Don't be so silly, Yumichika, I'll just order her some food and she'll be good to go. We all ate before starting, right?" She asked, and there was a pregnant pause as everyone came to the same conclusion.

"Ate?"

Well... Maybe one night of getting completely drunk wouldn't make a difference.

* * *

The morning after never was kind to Shuuhei. Usually he could just sleep it off, but today his stomach decided to get rid of everything in it, which is why Shuuhei had been puking in his bathroom for the past hour. His head hurt more than usual too, which only made him puke more until nothing would come up. He did manage to pass out again, while hugging the toilet, and woke only a few hours later to someone knocking on his door. He wondered who would bother him on a day like this, and wished they would stop knocking so damn loud.

"What do you wa- Oh, Rangiku?" He was surprised to see the woman so early, especially after last night. She had won the contest, of course, but everything after that was a blur. He was pretty sure Renji passed out... And he had a very hazy memory of Yumichika dragging Ikkaku home by the back of his shihakusho.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine. Just thought I'd come see how you were doing." She greeted with a smile, looking completely well rested and utterly normal, the complete opposite of Shuuhei.

"Ah, the usual I guess. I just woke up actually. You know Rangiku, you don't have to keep checking up on me. You shouldn't feel obligated." He said, finding it odd that she would come see him like this. Not that he didn't want to see her, he was actually happy she cared so much, but he really didn't want any of his friends feeling the need to babysit him.

"It's no trouble, really, and after last night I just wanted to make sure you were alive. I bet you don't even remember how you got home." She said, causing Shuuhei to pause. How did he get home? Rangiku laughed at his confused face, remembering how far gone he was last night. "Your welcome."

"Wait.. You?" He asked, face heating up in embarrassment. His own crush had to drag him home, all because he got too drunk. _God, I hope I didn't do anything stupid._

"Yes, me, I was the only one capable of walking besides Yumichika. He took Ikkaku home and went back for Iba, while I took you, Izuru and Momo home." She replied, making him feel even worse. If he wouldn't have gotten so drunk he could have taken Izuru and himself home.

"I'm so sorry! If there's anything I can do to make it up to you just tell me." He said, surprised at what she said next.

"Actually, I was going to ask if I could come in."

He blinked once, twice, wondering if he heard right. Was his dream finally coming true? Had she finally returned his feelings?! If only he wasn't hungover!

"Uh, s-sure, but I haven't cleaned up yet." He said, mentally slapping himself for letting his house get so dirty. Between all the work, he completely forgot to clean.

"Oh please, it's nothing compared to my house." She said, walking inside and looking around. Shuuhei closed his front door and straightened his uniform, hoping he didn't look like complete shit. "Please, sit." He said, gesturing to his couch which thankfully wasn't littered with clothes. They sat down and Shuuhei immediately started thinking of where this could be going. Would she confess to him, and say she's loved him all along? Would she start stripping like in his dreams? Probably not the last part, but he could hope.

"So, Shuuhei, I came here to tell you something important." She said, completely unaware to what he was thinking. Hearing this made his hopes go even higher. "We haven't spent much time together lately since you've been so busy, and I feel so bad because of that. I had no idea you haven't felt good."

"It's nothing, Rangiku, really." He replied, knowing that any minute she would confess.

"Maybe not to you, but it is to all of us, to me.."

_Yes, yes, go on!_

"So I came here to give you.."

_Your heart? A kiss?_

"These.." He watched as she reached into her shihakusho, causing his nose to almost erupt with blood. She was reaching for her chest! _It's even better than I imagined! She's giving me her wonderful breasts!_

"Scented candles!"

"..."

He felt like he was just in a terrible accident. All of his hopes had promptly crashed as she pulled out several small candles from her robes, and he almost started crying. _Of course she wouldn't return my feelings._

"They're great for handling stress, especially these lavender ones. Plus they smell so good! I figured you could use them since you need to relax." She continued explaining, oblivious to his crestfallen expression.

"Wow, thanks..." He grumbled, taking the candles and looking at them with a glare, as if it were their fault.

"I know you're not thrilled about staying away from work, but it's for the best. It may have been Renji's fault for knocking you out, but you would have ended up in the fourth division anyways. Why didn't you tell us you were stressed, Shuuhei? We would have helped." She said, giving him a disapproving look.

"I just.. Got caught up in it, I don't know. I didn't want to bother you guys.. And I thought I could handle it. I mean, I've been running this division for a while, I should be used to it!"

"It doesn't matter, Shuuhei, it's too much work for one person. You may have been used to it but working so much like that catches up to you eventually. You have to give yourself a break." She said, and Shuuhei suddenly felt a sense of deja vu. It was almost like he and Rangiku had this conversation before.

"It's not like I had a choice. It wasn't-"

"It wasn't your fault Tosen left, I know. You did what you had to do just like Izuru and Momo. The only difference is you overdid it and never asked for help. Momo would sometimes ask my Captain, and Izuru asked me a few times. But you would always do everything and never ask us to help. It wouldn't have bothered us, you know. You're our friend and we never wanted you to end up like this."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'll get better though, I promise. Now that Captain Muguruma is back, it'll give me a chance to wind down and be a lieutenant again." He replied, feeling terrible for never asking for help. The thought never crossed his mind, really, he just got so busy he didn't think about anything else except work. And now he was stuck like that.

"Speaking of which, how is your new Captain? I hear he's strict." She asked, deciding to change the subject.

"He is, but he's still alright. We get along pretty well. The only thing I'm not use to is his hollow powers, and his old lieutenant. Training with them is difficult." He answered, recalling how easily Mashiro had beaten him.

"I heard he brought some girl, but I wasn't aware it was his old lieutenant. I didn't know a Captain could have two lieutenants."

"Well, apparently he can, and nobody's going to tell him otherwise. He's got quite the temper. It's pretty funny to watch sometimes, as long as he's not mad at you."

"Sounds like my Captain." She said with a chuckle, knowing Toshiro was probably throwing a fit since she wasn't doing work right now. "Momo told me her Captains really strange, and Izuru said his isn't much better. They're both nice, I remember them before they got exiled." She said, causing Shuuhei to gape at her. She laughed nervously, realizing she let that slip out.

"B-but that was so long ago! How do you... Rangiku, how old _are_ you?!" He asked in amazement, forgetting that you shouldn't really ask a woman her age. But still, he had been just a kid when Kensei got exiled, how could she remember him? Did she meet him too?

"Let's just say I've been a lieutenant for a while, okay? I was here when they were all Captains and I remember all of them being very nice, interesting people, that's all! Your Captain hasn't really changed, actually. Come to think of it, none of them have." She explained, a flustered look on her face.

"Yeah, I know. I met Captain Muguruma when I was little." He said, flushing as he remembered crying in front of the man. He really hated that Kensei remembered that too. "How are you not a Captain, Rangiku? You're strong enough."

"Oh, stop, you'll make me blush. I'm perfectly fine with staying a lieutenant. Besides, there's no way I'll kick Toshiro out of his spot. The paperwork would never get done." She said, both of them laughing. "Oh, before I forget, I was going to see if you wanted to have lunch today. You should get out of your house so you don't go crazy."

"Sure, sounds great. I'll come by the tenth later on. Maybe twelve?"

"Perfect! Well I should get going before the Captain hunts me down. You better relax, mister!" She said, following Shuuhei to the door. Shuuhei laughed, knowing that he would probably just go back to sleep. "I'll try." He said, eyes widening when she hugged him. Usually she would smother him in her boobs, like she did to everyone else, but this was different. It was gentle and... Caring, maybe? Like a mother hugging her child. It felt... Weird.

"Just get some rest, Shuuhei. I'll see you soon." She said before flash stepping away. It took Shuuhei several seconds to realize she was gone, and even as he walked back inside and returned to his bed, he couldn't shake the weird feeling. A part of him said she really did return his feelings, or that she was worried. But something else told him it was different.

_They're great for handling stress, especially these lavender ones._

_You may have been used to it but working so much like that catches up to you eventually. You have to give yourself a break._

_It wasn't your fault Tosen left, I know._

_Just get some rest, Shuuhei._

He thought about everything she said, and how it felt like they had the same conversation before. Did he say something last night? Something that would make her worry? _God, I hope I didn't start talking about how stressed I've been. Still.. It almost sounds like... She knows exactly what I'm going through._

"Why does she know so much about stress?"

* * *

**A good question indeed. Well, I think it's safe to say that next chapter things are gonna start getting interesting. And, like in the current manga, Rangiku is going to play in important roll in all of this. Did you guys know Rangiku's past is apparently super important to what's going on in the recent chapters? I forget where I read it, but I think Kubo said something about it. Weird, right? Makes me wonder if Gin would be involved too. I hope so! I miss him:(**


End file.
